In early August, Stanton Carpet Corporation, based in Woodbury, New York, announced it acquired Floors 2000, a supplier of luxury vinyl plank (LVP), porcelain, mosaic and recycled glass tile, based in Pensacola, Florida. Stanton said that the Floors 2000 acquisition offered a comprehensive and complementary hard surface product line—including ceramic tile—that rounds out the company’s overall assortment.
Floor Trends had the opportunity to speak with Stanton CEO Jonathan Cohen and Floors 2000 President Jason Jones to learn more about the merger and what it means for the companies' growth plans.
Floor Trends: How did this deal come about?
Jason Jones: After talking with Jonathan and his father, we realized that it seemed like a very good fit. It was a genuine situation that their company values and our values would be a good fit. We had products they didn’t have and they have products that we don’t have—the businesses really didn’t intersect in multiple areas. We could try one price point and they could continue with the fashion, high-style brand that they do so well. It was good for both of us. It's been a blessing; everything has gone just perfectly.
Jonathan Cohen: Jason said it really well. We got into the hard surface business in early 2020, ready for the pandemic, and despite that it's gone pretty well for us last two and a half years. Part of our growth strategy from that point forward was thinking about businesses that that might be attractive for us. We were fortunate enough meet Jason and the Flooring 2000 team.
It just became clear, as Jason said, that it was an excellent culture fit. That’s really critical for us in an acquisition, from onboarding staff and in general. Their product line and their presence was a great compliment. There are great products and great price points. Floor 2000 has more or less an eight-state geography in the Southeast, so we both felt that we could expand that north and west over time across the country. Another attraction for us is that Floors 2000 has a great team, and their external sales team group of independent agents have done an outstanding job.
Floor Trends: What are your plan for growth?
Jones: We're adding new agents, as well as onboarding some of Stanon's agents in areas that we felt like we needed a presence immediately. We have plans to expand from there as far as the eye can see.
Floor Trends: Can you describe how these two brands will come together?
Cohen: We were focused on the decorative high-end market, and Floors 2000 is different—it sits at a great price point that is a little bit below where Stanton is with great styling. It rounds out our product offering. Customers will be exposed to both product lines over time.
Floor Trends: With Floors 2000, Stanton is getting into the ceramic business. How will you approach that business?
Cohen: With luxury vinyl, it will be a bit easier for us in the beginning to expand the distribution to these other territories, but as we go forward, the merchandising for tile is a little bit different. We will be very thoughtful about how we approach that, but we feel like we could expand that throughout the country as well. As time evolves and the industry evolves we see more and more of our customers getting into multiple product categories.
Jones: You need to listen to your customer and find out exactly what they want. You really need to get a good grasp on your customer base and what is actually selling out there versus what you think is selling out there, because otherwise you can make mistakes. With the communication line I have with our agents, they tell us what customers are looking for. Being able to select the right one from the right factory at the right price is key to being successful.
With the acquisition of Floors 2000, Stanton has the opportunity to get into the tile business and Floors 2000 has the opportunity to expand its distribution nationwide. Photo: Stanton.
